1
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Chippalkatti R, Parisi B, Kouzi F, Laurini C, Ben Fredj N, Abankwa DK. RAS isoform specific activities are disrupted by disease associated mutations during cell differentiation. Eur J Cell Biol 2024; 103:151425. [PMID: 38795504 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2024.151425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The RAS-MAPK-pathway is aberrantly regulated in cancer and developmental diseases called RASopathies. While typically the impact of Ras on the proliferation of various cancer cell lines is assessed, it is poorly established how Ras affects cellular differentiation. Here we implement the C2C12 myoblast cell line to systematically study the effect of Ras mutants and Ras-pathway drugs on differentiation. We first provide evidence that a minor pool of Pax7+ progenitors replenishes a major pool of transit amplifying cells that are ready to differentiate. Our data indicate that Ras isoforms have distinct roles in the differentiating culture, where K-Ras depletion increases and H-Ras depletion decreases terminal differentiation. This assay could therefore provide significant new insights into Ras biology and Ras-driven diseases. In line with this, we found that all oncogenic Ras mutants block terminal differentiation of transit amplifying cells. By contrast, RASopathy associated K-Ras variants were less able to block differentiation. Profiling of eight targeted Ras-pathway drugs on seven oncogenic Ras mutants revealed their allele-specific activities and distinct abilities to restore normal differentiation as compared to triggering cell death. In particular, the MEK-inhibitor trametinib could broadly restore differentiation, while the mTOR-inhibitor rapamycin broadly suppressed differentiation. We expect that this quantitative assessment of the impact of Ras-pathway mutants and drugs on cellular differentiation has great potential to complement cancer cell proliferation data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohan Chippalkatti
- Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette 4362, Luxembourg
| | - Bianca Parisi
- Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette 4362, Luxembourg
| | - Farah Kouzi
- Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette 4362, Luxembourg
| | - Christina Laurini
- Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette 4362, Luxembourg
| | - Nesrine Ben Fredj
- Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette 4362, Luxembourg
| | - Daniel Kwaku Abankwa
- Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette 4362, Luxembourg.
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2
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Kaya P, Schaffner-Reckinger E, Manoharan GB, Vukic V, Kiriazis A, Ledda M, Burgos Renedo M, Pavic K, Gaigneaux A, Glaab E, Abankwa DK. An Improved PDE6D Inhibitor Combines with Sildenafil To Inhibit KRAS Mutant Cancer Cell Growth. J Med Chem 2024. [PMID: 38758695 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c02129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
The trafficking chaperone PDE6D (or PDEδ) was proposed as a surrogate target for K-Ras, leading to the development of a series of inhibitors that block its prenyl binding pocket. These inhibitors suffered from low solubility and suspected off-target effects, preventing their clinical development. Here, we developed a highly soluble, low nanomolar PDE6D inhibitor (PDE6Di), Deltaflexin3, which has the lowest off-target activity as compared to three prominent reference compounds. Deltaflexin3 reduces Ras signaling and selectively decreases the growth of KRAS mutant and PDE6D-dependent cancer cells. We further show that PKG2-mediated phosphorylation of Ser181 lowers K-Ras binding to PDE6D. Thus, Deltaflexin3 combines with the approved PKG2 activator Sildenafil to more potently inhibit PDE6D/K-Ras binding, cancer cell proliferation, and microtumor growth. As observed previously, inhibition of Ras trafficking, signaling, and cancer cell proliferation remained overall modest. Our results suggest reevaluating PDE6D as a K-Ras surrogate target in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pelin Kaya
- Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery Group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, 4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Elisabeth Schaffner-Reckinger
- Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery Group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, 4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Ganesh Babu Manoharan
- Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery Group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, 4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Vladimir Vukic
- Faculty of Technology, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Alexandros Kiriazis
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, 20520 Turku, Finland
| | - Mirko Ledda
- Luxembourg Center for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, 4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Maria Burgos Renedo
- Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery Group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, 4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Karolina Pavic
- Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery Group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, 4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Anthoula Gaigneaux
- Bioinformatics Core, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, 4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Enrico Glaab
- Luxembourg Center for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, 4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Daniel Kwaku Abankwa
- Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery Group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, 4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, 20520 Turku, Finland
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3
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Gowans FA, Thach DQ, Zhu Z, Wang Y, Altamirano Poblano BE, Dovala D, Tallarico JA, McKenna JM, Schirle M, Maimone TJ, Nomura DK. Ophiobolin A Covalently Targets Mitochondrial Complex IV Leading to Metabolic Collapse in Cancer Cells. ACS Chem Biol 2024. [PMID: 38739449 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.4c00064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Ophiobolin A (OPA) is a sesterterpenoid fungal natural product with broad anticancer activity. While OPA possesses multiple electrophilic moieties that can covalently react with nucleophilic amino acids on proteins, the proteome-wide targets and mechanism of OPA remain poorly understood in many contexts. In this study, we used covalent chemoproteomic platforms to map the proteome-wide reactivity of the OPA in a highly sensitive lung cancer cell line. Among several proteins that OPA engaged, we focused on two targets: lysine-72 of cytochrome c oxidase subunit 5A (COX5A) and cysteine-53 of mitochondrial hypoxia induced gene 1 domain family member 2A (HIGD2A). These two subunit proteins are part of complex IV (cytochrome C oxidase) within the electron transport chain and contributed significantly to the antiproliferative activity of OPA. OPA activated mitochondrial respiration in a COX5A- and HIGD2A-dependent manner, leading to an initial spike in mitochondrial ATP and heightened mitochondrial oxidative stress. OPA compromised mitochondrial membrane potential, ultimately leading to ATP depletion. We have used chemoproteomic strategies to discover a unique anticancer mechanism of OPA through activation of complex IV leading to compromised mitochondrial energetics and rapid cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flor A Gowans
- Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Novartis-Berkeley Translational Chemical Biology Institute, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California 94704, United States
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720 United States
| | - Danny Q Thach
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Novartis-Berkeley Translational Chemical Biology Institute, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Zhouyang Zhu
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Novartis-Berkeley Translational Chemical Biology Institute, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Yangzhi Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Novartis-Berkeley Translational Chemical Biology Institute, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California 94704, United States
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Basel CH-4056, Switzerland
| | - Belen E Altamirano Poblano
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Novartis-Berkeley Translational Chemical Biology Institute, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California 94704, United States
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Basel CH-4056, Switzerland
| | - Dustin Dovala
- Novartis-Berkeley Translational Chemical Biology Institute, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Emeryville, California 94608, United States
| | - John A Tallarico
- Novartis-Berkeley Translational Chemical Biology Institute, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Jeffrey M McKenna
- Novartis-Berkeley Translational Chemical Biology Institute, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Basel CH-4056, Switzerland
| | - Markus Schirle
- Novartis-Berkeley Translational Chemical Biology Institute, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Thomas J Maimone
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Novartis-Berkeley Translational Chemical Biology Institute, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Daniel K Nomura
- Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Novartis-Berkeley Translational Chemical Biology Institute, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California 94704, United States
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720 United States
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4
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Harnisch K, Steiner S, Pliego-Mendieta A, Chen Y, Planas-Paz L, Pauli C. Establishment and functional testing of a novel ex vivo extraskeletal osteosarcoma cell model (USZ20-ESOS1). Hum Cell 2024; 37:356-363. [PMID: 37951844 PMCID: PMC10764462 DOI: 10.1007/s13577-023-01001-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Extraskeletal osteosarcoma (ESOS) is a rare malignant mesenchymal tumor that originates in the soft tissue. ESOS accounts for less than 1% of all soft tissue sarcomas and exhibits an aggressive behavior with a high propensity for local recurrence and distant metastasis. Despite advances in treatment, the prognosis for ESOS remains poor, with a five-year survival rate of less than 50% and 27% for metastatic patients. Ex vivo models derived from patient samples are critical tools for studying rare diseases with poor prognoses, such as ESOS, and identifying potential new treatment strategies. In this work, we established a novel ESOS ex vivo sarco-sphere model from a metastatic lesion to the dermis for research and functional testing purposes. The ex vivo cell model accurately recapitulated the native tumor, as evidenced by histomorphology and molecular profiles. Through a functional screening approach, we were able to identify novel individual anti-cancer drug sensitivities for different drugs such as romidepsin, miverbresib and to multiple kinase inhibitors. Overall, our new ESOS ex vivo cell model represents a valuable tool for investigating disease mechanisms and answering basic and translational research questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim Harnisch
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 12, 8006, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sabrina Steiner
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 12, 8006, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alicia Pliego-Mendieta
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 12, 8006, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Yanjiang Chen
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 12, 8006, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lara Planas-Paz
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 12, 8006, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Chantal Pauli
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 12, 8006, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Medical Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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5
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Gutiérrez-González JA, Pérez-Vásquez A, González-Andrade M, Galano A, Villaseñor JL, Mata R. Calmodulin-Targeting Molecules from Ageratina grandifolia. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2023; 86:2562-2570. [PMID: 37906816 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.3c00794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Four new natural chemical entities, including 2-hydroxy-α-truxillic acid (2), (3R,4S)-2,2-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-4-(1-angeloyloxy)-6-acetyl-7-methoxychromane (3), N-tricosanoyltyramine (4), and grandifolamide (5), were isolated along with 11 known compounds (1, 6-15) from the aerial parts of Ageratina grandifolia. The chemical structures were elucidated using chemical derivatization and HR-MS, NMR, and DFT-calculated chemical shifts, combined with DP4+ statistical analysis. It was found that 2 decomposed into its biogenetic precursor, o-coumaric acid, upon standing at room temperature for a few weeks. 3,5-Diprenyl-4-hydroxyacetophenone (8), O-methylencecalinol (10), encecalin (11), and encecalinol (12) bound to calmodulin (CaM) with higher affinity than chlorpromazine, a well-known CaM inhibitor. Molecular dynamics studies revealed that the complexes of these compounds with CaM remained stable during the simulation. Altogether these results revealed the therapeutic and research tool potential of compounds 8, 10, 11, and 12.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Araceli Pérez-Vásquez
- Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, México
| | - Martín González-Andrade
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, México
| | - Annia Galano
- Departamento de Química, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Ciudad de México 09310, México
| | - José L Villaseñor
- Departamento de Botánica, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, México
| | - Rachel Mata
- Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, México
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6
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Manoharan GB, Laurini C, Bottone S, Ben Fredj N, Abankwa DK. K-Ras Binds Calmodulin-Related Centrin1 with Potential Implications for K-Ras Driven Cancer Cell Stemness. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3087. [PMID: 37370697 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15123087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent data suggest that K-Ras4B (hereafter K-Ras) can drive cancer cell stemness via calmodulin (CaM)-dependent, non-canonical Wnt-signalling. Here we examined whether another Ca2+-binding protein, the CaM-related centrin1, binds to K-Ras and could mediate some K-Ras functions that were previously ascribed to CaM. While CaM and centrin1 appear to distinguish between peptides that were derived from their classical targets, they both bind to K-Ras in cells. Cellular BRET- and immunoprecipitation data suggest that CaM engages more with K-Ras than centrin1 and that the interaction with the C-terminal membrane anchor of K-Ras is sufficient for this. Surprisingly, binding of neither K-Ras nor its membrane anchor alone to CaM or centrin1 is sensitive to inhibition of prenylation. In support of an involvement of the G-domain of K-Ras in cellular complexes with these Ca2+-binding proteins, we find that oncogenic K-RasG12V displays increased engagement with both CaM and centrin1. This is abrogated by addition of the D38A effector-site mutation, suggesting that K-RasG12V is held together with CaM or centrin1 in complexes with effectors. When treated with CaM inhibitors, the BRET-interaction of K-RasG12V with centrin1 was also disrupted in the low micromolar range, comparable to that with CaM. While CaM predominates in regulating functional membrane anchorage of K-Ras, it has a very similar co-distribution with centrin1 on mitotic organelles. Given these results, a significant overlap of the CaM- and centrin1-dependent functions of K-Ras is suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ganesh Babu Manoharan
- Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery Group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, L-4362 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Christina Laurini
- Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery Group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, L-4362 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Sara Bottone
- Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery Group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, L-4362 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Nesrine Ben Fredj
- Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery Group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, L-4362 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Daniel Kwaku Abankwa
- Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery Group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, L-4362 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
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7
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Babu Manoharan G, Guzmán C, Najumudeen AK, Abankwa D. Detection of Ras nanoclustering-dependent homo-FRET using fluorescence anisotropy measurements. Eur J Cell Biol 2023; 102:151314. [PMID: 37058825 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2023.151314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The small GTPase Ras is frequently mutated in cancer and a driver of tumorigenesis. The recent years have shown great progress in drug-targeting Ras and understanding how it operates on the plasma membrane. We now know that Ras is non-randomly organized into proteo-lipid complexes on the membrane, called nanoclusters. Nanoclusters contain only a few Ras proteins and are necessary for the recruitment of downstream effectors, such as Raf. If tagged with fluorescent proteins, the dense packing of Ras in nanoclusters can be analyzed by Förster/ fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). Loss of FRET can therefore report on decreased nanoclustering and any process upstream of it, such as Ras lipid modifications and correct trafficking. Thus, cellular FRET screens employing Ras-derived fluorescence biosensors are potentially powerful tools to discover chemical or genetic modulators of functional Ras membrane organization. Here we implement fluorescence anisotropy-based homo-FRET measurements of Ras-derived constructs labelled with only one fluorescent protein on a confocal microscope and a fluorescence plate reader. We show that homo-FRET of both H-Ras- and K-Ras-derived constructs can sensitively report on Ras-lipidation and -trafficking inhibitors, as well as on genetic perturbations of proteins regulating membrane anchorage. By exploiting the switch I/II-binding Ras-dimerizing compound BI-2852, this assay is also suitable to report on the engagement of the K-Ras switch II pocket by small molecules such as AMG 510. Given that homo-FRET only requires one fluorescent protein tagged Ras construct, this approach has significant advantages to create Ras-nanoclustering FRET-biosensor reporter cell lines, as compared to the more common hetero-FRET approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ganesh Babu Manoharan
- Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Camilo Guzmán
- Euro-BioImaging ERIC, Statutory Seat, Turku, Finland
| | - Arafath Kaja Najumudeen
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Daniel Abankwa
- Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.
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8
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Gowans FA, Thach DQ, Wang Y, Altamirano Poblano BE, Dovala D, Tallarico JA, McKenna JM, Schirle M, Maimone TJ, Nomura DK. Ophiobolin A Covalently Targets Complex IV Leading to Mitochondrial Metabolic Collapse in Cancer Cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.09.531918. [PMID: 36945520 PMCID: PMC10029012 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.09.531918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
Ophiobolin A (OPA) is a sesterterpenoid fungal natural product with broad anti-cancer activity. While OPA possesses multiple electrophilic moieties that can covalently react with nucleophilic amino acids on proteins, the proteome-wide targets and mechanism of OPA remain poorly understood in many contexts. In this study, we used covalent chemoproteomic platforms to map the proteome-wide reactivity of OPA in a highly sensitive lung cancer cell line. Among several proteins that OPA engaged, we focused on two targets-cysteine C53 of HIG2DA and lysine K72 of COX5A-that are part of complex IV of the electron transport chain and contributed significantly to the anti-proliferative activity. OPA activated mitochondrial respiration in a HIG2DA and COX5A-dependent manner, led to an initial spike in mitochondrial ATP, but then compromised mitochondrial membrane potential leading to ATP depletion. We have used chemoproteomic strategies to discover a unique anti-cancer mechanism of OPA through activation of complex IV leading to compromised mitochondrial energetics and rapid cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flor A. Gowans
- Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
- Novartis-Berkeley Translational Chemical Biology Institute, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, CA 94704 USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
| | - Danny Q. Thach
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
- Novartis-Berkeley Translational Chemical Biology Institute, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
| | - Yangzhi Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
- Novartis-Berkeley Translational Chemical Biology Institute, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, CA 94704 USA
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Belen E. Altamirano Poblano
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
- Novartis-Berkeley Translational Chemical Biology Institute, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, CA 94704 USA
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dustin Dovala
- Novartis-Berkeley Translational Chemical Biology Institute, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Emeryville, CA 94608 USA
| | - John A. Tallarico
- Novartis-Berkeley Translational Chemical Biology Institute, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
| | - Jeffrey M. McKenna
- Novartis-Berkeley Translational Chemical Biology Institute, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Markus Schirle
- Novartis-Berkeley Translational Chemical Biology Institute, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
| | - Thomas J. Maimone
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
- Novartis-Berkeley Translational Chemical Biology Institute, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
| | - Daniel K. Nomura
- Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
- Novartis-Berkeley Translational Chemical Biology Institute, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, CA 94704 USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
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9
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Léger C, Pitard I, Sadi M, Carvalho N, Brier S, Mechaly A, Raoux-Barbot D, Davi M, Hoos S, Weber P, Vachette P, Durand D, Haouz A, Guijarro JI, Ladant D, Chenal A. Dynamics and structural changes of calmodulin upon interaction with the antagonist calmidazolium. BMC Biol 2022; 20:176. [PMID: 35945584 PMCID: PMC9361521 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01381-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Calmodulin (CaM) is an evolutionarily conserved eukaryotic multifunctional protein that functions as the major sensor of intracellular calcium signaling. Its calcium-modulated function regulates the activity of numerous effector proteins involved in a variety of physiological processes in diverse organs, from proliferation and apoptosis, to memory and immune responses. Due to the pleiotropic roles of CaM in normal and pathological cell functions, CaM antagonists are needed for fundamental studies as well as for potential therapeutic applications. Calmidazolium (CDZ) is a potent small molecule antagonist of CaM and one the most widely used inhibitors of CaM in cell biology. Yet, CDZ, as all other CaM antagonists described thus far, also affects additional cellular targets and its lack of selectivity hinders its application for dissecting calcium/CaM signaling. A better understanding of CaM:CDZ interaction is key to design analogs with improved selectivity. Here, we report a molecular characterization of CaM:CDZ complexes using an integrative structural biology approach combining SEC-SAXS, X-ray crystallography, HDX-MS, and NMR. Results We provide evidence that binding of a single molecule of CDZ induces an open-to-closed conformational reorientation of the two domains of CaM and results in a strong stabilization of its structural elements associated with a reduction of protein dynamics over a large time range. These CDZ-triggered CaM changes mimic those induced by CaM-binding peptides derived from physiological protein targets, despite their distinct chemical natures. CaM residues in close contact with CDZ and involved in the stabilization of the CaM:CDZ complex have been identified. Conclusion Our results provide molecular insights into CDZ-induced dynamics and structural changes of CaM leading to its inhibition and open the way to the rational design of more selective CaM antagonists. Graphical abstract Calmidazolium is a potent and widely used inhibitor of calmodulin, a major mediator of calcium-signaling in eukaryotic cells. Structural characterization of calmidazolium-binding to calmodulin reveals that it triggers open-to-closed conformational changes similar to those induced by calmodulin-binding peptides derived from enzyme targets. These results provide molecular insights into CDZ-induced dynamics and structural changes of CaM leading to its inhibition and open the way to the rational design of more selective CaM antagonists.![]() Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-022-01381-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corentin Léger
- Biochemistry of Macromolecular Interactions Unit, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry, CNRS UMR3528, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France
| | - Irène Pitard
- Biological NMR and HDX-MS Technological Platform, CNRS UMR3528, Université Paris Cité, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France
| | - Mirko Sadi
- Biochemistry of Macromolecular Interactions Unit, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry, CNRS UMR3528, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France.,Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Carvalho
- Biochemistry of Macromolecular Interactions Unit, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry, CNRS UMR3528, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France.,Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Sébastien Brier
- Biological NMR and HDX-MS Technological Platform, CNRS UMR3528, Université Paris Cité, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France
| | - Ariel Mechaly
- Plate-forme de Cristallographie-C2RT, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3528, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Dorothée Raoux-Barbot
- Biochemistry of Macromolecular Interactions Unit, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry, CNRS UMR3528, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France
| | - Maryline Davi
- Biochemistry of Macromolecular Interactions Unit, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry, CNRS UMR3528, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France
| | - Sylviane Hoos
- Plateforme de Biophysique Moléculaire, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3528, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Patrick Weber
- Plate-forme de Cristallographie-C2RT, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3528, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Patrice Vachette
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Dominique Durand
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Ahmed Haouz
- Plate-forme de Cristallographie-C2RT, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3528, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - J Iñaki Guijarro
- Biological NMR and HDX-MS Technological Platform, CNRS UMR3528, Université Paris Cité, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France
| | - Daniel Ladant
- Biochemistry of Macromolecular Interactions Unit, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry, CNRS UMR3528, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France.
| | - Alexandre Chenal
- Biochemistry of Macromolecular Interactions Unit, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry, CNRS UMR3528, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France.
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10
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Manoharan GB, Okutachi S, Abankwa D. Potential of phenothiazines to synergistically block calmodulin and reactivate PP2A in cancer cells. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0268635. [PMID: 35617282 PMCID: PMC9135253 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenothiazines (PTZ) were developed as inhibitors of monoamine neurotransmitter receptors, notably dopamine receptors. Because of this activity they have been used for decades as antipsychotic drugs. In addition, they possess significant anti-cancer properties and several attempts for their repurposing were made. However, their incompletely understood polypharmacology is challenging. Here we examined the potential of the PTZ fluphenazine (Flu) and its mustard derivative (Flu-M) to synergistically act on two cancer associated targets, calmodulin (CaM) and the tumor suppressor protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). Both proteins are known to modulate the Ras- and MAPK-pathway, cell viability and features of cancer cell stemness. Consistently, we show that the combination of a CaM inhibitor and the PP2A activator DT-061 synergistically inhibited the 3D-spheroid formation of MDA-MB-231 (K-Ras-G13D), NCI-H358 (K-Ras-G12C) and A375 (B-raf-V600E) cancer cells, and increased apoptosis in MDA-MB-231. We reasoned that these activities remain combined in PTZ, which were the starting point for PP2A activator development, while several PTZ are known CaM inhibitors. We show that both Flu and Flu-M retained CaM inhibitory activity in vitro and in cells, with a higher potency of the mustard derivative in cells. In line with the CaM dependence of Ras plasma membrane organization, the mustard derivative potently reduced the functional membrane organization of oncogenic Ras, while DT-061 had a negligible effect. Like DT-061, both PTZ potently decreased c-MYC levels, a hallmark of PP2A activation. Benchmarking against the KRAS-G12C specific inhibitor AMG-510 in MIA PaCa-2 cells revealed a higher potency of Flu-M than combinations of DT-061 and a CaM inhibitor on MAPK-output and a strong effect on cell proliferation. While our study is limited, our results suggest that improved PTZ derivatives that retain both, their CaM inhibitory and PP2A activating properties, but have lost their neurological side-effects, may be interesting to pursue further as anti-cancer agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ganesh Babu Manoharan
- Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery Group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Sunday Okutachi
- Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery Group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Daniel Abankwa
- Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery Group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
- * E-mail:
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11
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Cipriani C, Pacheco MP, Kishk A, Wachich M, Abankwa D, Schaffner-Reckinger E, Sauter T. Bruceine D Identified as a Drug Candidate against Breast Cancer by a Novel Drug Selection Pipeline and Cell Viability Assay. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15020179. [PMID: 35215292 PMCID: PMC8875459 DOI: 10.3390/ph15020179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The multi-target effects of natural products allow us to fight complex diseases like cancer on multiple fronts. Unlike docking techniques, network-based approaches such as genome-scale metabolic modelling can capture multi-target effects. However, the incompleteness of natural product target information reduces the prediction accuracy of in silico gene knockout strategies. Here, we present a drug selection workflow based on context-specific genome-scale metabolic models, built from the expression data of cancer cells treated with natural products, to predict cell viability. The workflow comprises four steps: first, in silico single-drug and drug combination predictions; second, the assessment of the effects of natural products on cancer metabolism via the computation of a dissimilarity score between the treated and control models; third, the identification of natural products with similar effects to the approved drugs; and fourth, the identification of drugs with the predicted effects in pathways of interest, such as the androgen and estrogen pathway. Out of the initial 101 natural products, nine candidates were tested in a 2D cell viability assay. Bruceine D, emodin, and scutellarein showed a dose-dependent inhibition of MCF-7 and Hs 578T cell proliferation with IC50 values between 0.7 to 65 μM, depending on the drug and cell line. Bruceine D, extracted from Brucea javanica seeds, showed the highest potency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Cipriani
- Systems Biology Group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg; (C.C.); (M.P.P.); (A.K.)
| | - Maria Pires Pacheco
- Systems Biology Group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg; (C.C.); (M.P.P.); (A.K.)
| | - Ali Kishk
- Systems Biology Group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg; (C.C.); (M.P.P.); (A.K.)
| | - Maryem Wachich
- Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery Group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg; (M.W.); (D.A.); (E.S.-R.)
| | - Daniel Abankwa
- Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery Group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg; (M.W.); (D.A.); (E.S.-R.)
| | - Elisabeth Schaffner-Reckinger
- Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery Group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg; (M.W.); (D.A.); (E.S.-R.)
| | - Thomas Sauter
- Systems Biology Group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg; (C.C.); (M.P.P.); (A.K.)
- Correspondence:
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